TICAD9 ‘empty’ booth: Nigeria focused on strategic engagements, not trade expo, says presidency

The presidency says the focus on Nigeria’s “empty” booth at the ongoing 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Japan is a misrepresentation of the country’s mission at the summit.

As the meeting kicked off on Wednesday, booths representing various countries welcomed investors and visitors.

But Nigeria’s stand stood conspicuously empty, leaving some delegates to take up the task of manning it.

The situation quickly drew criticism from Nigerians online, who lamented the country’s poor representation at such a high-profile gathering.

But the ministry of foreign affairs dismissed the concerns, noting that the booth was scheduled to be “inaugurated” on Thursday.

The explanation did little to calm the rage, with citizens labelling it as an “inadequate excuse”.

PRESIDENCY WADDLES IN

In a lengthy statement, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, said the narrative of an “empty” booth did not tell the complete story of Nigeria’s activities at TICAD and dismissed it as “sensational”.

Onanuga said the Nigerian delegation was “laser-focused on its core objectives of achieving tangible outcomes” from the multiple engagements lined up.

“The Nigerian official delegation working with Corporate Nigeria, represented by some of our leading business leaders, didn’t come to Yokohama and Tokyo to attend any Trade Expo, designed as an open forum for participating nations,” the statement added.

Onanuga also listed the activities lined up for state officials.

“The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) is scheduled to host an investment forum on Thursday, August 21, 2025,” the statement reads.

“The Nigerian ministers are busy with bilateral sideline discussions. At the same time, President Tinubu will lead meetings with the executives of Toyota Corporation, CFAO, UN-Habitat, UNDP, and the International Finance Corporation. The delegation’s schedule does not include participation in an open forum trade exhibition.

“Specifically, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, is leading the pre-activation meeting to execute several power projects in Nigeria that are being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“One of the projects is the Lagos-Ogun Power Transmission System Improvement, which is designed to improve the wheeling capacity and grid stability and enable the connection of industrial customers on the corridor.

“There is also the partnership between the National Power Training Institute (NAPTIN) and JICA to enhance Vocational Training Delivery for the power sector.  The third power project is the Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy Scale-up, for which $190 million has been provided.

“The Minister of Power is scheduled to negotiate with notable Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as TOSHIBA and HITACHI.

“The Bank of Industry, led by its Managing Director/Chief Executive, Dr. Supo Olusi, is also in high-level discussions with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and other participating multilateral institutions for its annual global fund syndication.”

Onanuga said the country is “fully and well represented” at the conference.